The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1887-07-28

The Sheal,an Trial.
.;yeciqi 10 the Neacs and Courier.

LAURENs. July 2l.-An immense
crowd filled the Courthouse when, at
2:30 p. m. yesterday, Judge Presley
called the Sheahan case. After the plea
Of not guilty had been entered by each
Of the defendants, John D. and Eugene
Sheahan, Solicitor Duncan said that the
State elected to try John D. Sheahan
first. The prisoners were represented
by Messrs. Ferguson & Featherstone,
Ball 6; Watts and johnson G. Richey,
while the able solicitor is assisted by
Mcssrs. Haskell & Dial. The following
eleven jurors were sworn: Samuel Le-
man, foreman; w. l.. Stone, Dorroh
Bolt, B. A. Martin, J. B. Peden, W. II.
Workman, J. +. Fowler, J. A. Fowler,
w. L. Balentine, J. II. Allen and L. u.
Jacks. As the panel was exhausted
| Judge Presley ordered that special
venire be issued and the Court was ad-
:oulne1 until o'clock this morning.
! The jurors who had been sworn were
placed in the custody Of the sheriff so as
to prevent any communication between
! them and outsiders.
This morning the twelfth Juror, Mr..
!. P. Sloan, was sworn in. Chief jus
tice Simpson, who had come as a spec
Jator, was invited to seat on the bench.
Dr.. J. P. Simpson, who made the post
| mortem examination, testified that he
considered the cause of death to be
gunshot wound entering the back, pass
ing through the lungs and striking the
spinal column. Mr. J. r. Cooper, a
young merchant AID member Of the city
council, gave the following account OF
the homicide:
'On the 4ti of July, about 8 o'clock,
was standing in our store door talking
with Policeman Langston, when MY at,
tcntion was attracted to the Courthouse
door by some one suddenly turning
, about. At the same instant I saw She
ahan fire pistol at Bishop, who thre"
I'D his hands, hallooed and ran up the
f steps, while Mr.. Sheahan fired two shots
more at him. BY that time Mr.. Lang
ston and myself had got up pretty nea'
them, and Mr.. Langston caught hold o
: Eugene Sheahan. John Sheahan turne(
and ran around on the left TO the clerk
: office, looking into the windows as II
went around, and when he got TO tn
third window he looked in and fired oh'
l shot. He then went across to the fourtl
e window of the clerks office. Abou
then / got up pretty close to him and n
U turned right around with his pistol II
e his hands and ordered ME not to ad
vance on him or he would shoot me
- He passed then down and looked int
n the second and third windows from tn
door, turned again and went back t
the fourth window, reached in and fire
e two shots, making six shots in all.
# heard some one halloo at every shot.
had no weapon in my hand, but l RI
u manned there until Mr.. Langston starte
8 towards John Sileahan, who told Lang
= ton not to come on him. LangSten b
IL that time had pistol, which think /
o aot from Eugene Sheahan, and to]
g John Sheahan not to fire any NOR
u John Sheahan looked back into the thil
d window, then put his two pistols f
&c gether and said: Here, give up T
- was turned over to the sheriff. In fl
minutes after the last shot saw 3lsht
G. dying in the clerks office"
Policeman Langston, c. J. Hunt, D
N J. r. Poole and J. 0. Templeton gave
n substance the same account, after whit
- the State closed its case.
ST J. F. Thompson, the first witness +
a. the defence, said that he was clerk
Sheahan's dry goods store. While tai
ing to Bishop about bill which Bish'
n. owed Sheahan, Bishop commenced abt
:, ing Sheahan, saying, You 60 over the
LII and tell him say he is a a-- It
ey headed - of a.. More than tn;
n Cd d him, I will shoot his -
:" - heart out" I went over to t
is store and told Mr.. Sheahan>--ILsJiiI:
go wards repeated 1bject. If Il
or SheahsraS &C, let US have but Oh
ee experimental station, and no mont
is spent on any until the action of Il
next session Of the Legislature.